Meanderings, u-turns and delights of a Village SOS wife stranded in mid-Wales...

Friday, 4 March 2011

Painting Wales...

I'm catching up with myself now. Only two more weeks of gypsy living, then we're into our lovely new wooden shed in the field in Somerset. Ian tried it out yesterday with his cousin James, and boy does the insulation do the trick. Just a little heat from an electric heater and it stayed warm for most of the next day. Now I'm looking forward to it!

Thought I'd update you on our wonderful painting class in Wales - with our wonderful and talented teacher Rob Ijbema (flattery gets you everywhere). I am still excited about it. It is great to be learning how to use colour, create light and use the brush with oils.

First we create a peachy-coloured wash to cover the white board (we do this the night before so it's got time to dry), then start by marking on a grid - lightly so it's easy to cover up.

Then paint in the dark areas of the picture. The composition is guided by the grid - never place your focal point in the middle, but on one of the lower intersections of the grid. In this picture the main focus is the stream which leads your eye gently across the painting. The horizon does well on the top line of the grid - about one third of the way down the board.

Here is the view we were painting. In terms of tone (lights and darks) you really need to convey a far distance, middle distance and foreground. Each gets successively lighter the further away you get due to the effects of the earths atmosphere. If you squint your eyes when looking at a view you can see it. Blue is a receding colour, and red comes forward.

And here is Rob. We are just using three colours and white to start with - alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue and lemon yellow. A bit of cadmium red is added now and again. Rob paints with a lot of washes - paint mixed with white spirit, rather than layering it on thickly. And he paints in one sitting - 'wet on wet'.

This is my finished attempt...... (I have a lot to learn). Any criticisms gratefully accepted.

And last weeks picture of a frosty February morning.... (I like this one a bit better)And week 1.......

What is Village SOS?

Village SOS is a batch of funding by the Lottery for regenerating rural communites, and will also be filmed by the BBC for a series next year. Our project, Ashfield Community Enterprise, will be restoring an 8 acre horticultural site in the village of Howey to grow food. Ian is a 'business champion' helping the project to become viable in the long term - as well as providing a community focus for volunteers.

This blog is mostly about our 'gap-year' experience of living in mid-Wales, with a little bit about the Ashfield project thrown in, plus a sprinkling of house renovations ongoing in Somerset. Basically whatever comes to mind!